Eagle Setter Named Conference Player of the Week

(Posted September 20, 2004)

Carli Dale has been named the Commonwealth Conference volleyball player of the week for the second-consecutive week for helping Juniata to a 3-1 week.

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College senior setter Carli Dale (Cochranton/Cochranton) has earned Commonwealth Conference volleyball player of the week honors for the second-consecutive week. Juniata posted a 3-1 week, including a pair of wins over nationally ranked opponents. A Juniata player has earned the conference player of the week recognition each of the three weeks it has been awarded this season.

The senior setter helped lead Juniata to wins over defending national champion and fifth-ranked Washington University (Mo.) and 14th-ranked Trinity University (Tx.) on the week. Against Washington Dale passed out 42 assists and added 14 digs on defense in a 3-0 Juniata win, then notched 49 assists, 11 digs and three blocks in a 3-0 triumph over Trinity. In a 3-0 set-back to third-ranked Wittenberg Dale posted 43 assists and a team-high 16 digs along with a pair of blocks. Earlier in the week she helped Juniata hit .468 in a win over conference foe Albright. She passed out 38 assist in the match and had a pair of aces with eight digs. For the week Dale averaged 14.25 assists per game and a team-high 49 blocks. She helped Juniata hit .292 as a team on the week while contributing three aces and five blocks.

Dale is off to a strong start 2004 after earning first-team All-American honors as a junior. She ranked third in the NCAA Division III statistics report released September 12 with an average of 13.88 assists per game. She has upped that total to 14 assists per game since that report. Dale also ranks second on the team in digs with 152 while also adding 12 aces and 12 blocks. She has also joined into the attack effectively with 44 kills and a .421 attack percentage. Juniata is attacking at a .278 clip in the early season and are averaging 16.46 kills per game with Dale directing the attack.

Juniata is 10-2 in 2004 and has climbed back to the number-four ranking in the most recent CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll. Juniata will play conference foe Lebanon Valley on Wednesday, and will then play four matches at the Eastern Shore Invitational in Maryland over the weekend.